First Container Ship To Run On Brazilian-Made Ethanol Sets Sail From Port Of Santos

The first container ship fuelled by Brazilian-made ethanol set sail early Tuesday from the port of Santos. The fuel for the bunkering operation was provided by the energy company Copersucar.

The CMA CGM Iron, which can run on methanol, ethanol and conventional fossil bunker fuel, will make port calls in Sri Lanka and Singapore before heading to its final destination, which is China.

CMA CGM is also planning to have 200 ships running on renewable fuels by 2031. Currently, the company operates 700 ships.

This operation was significant as the use of ethanol as bunker fuel creates a market for biofuel makers and farmers in Brazil, the world’s second-largest ethanol producer after the U.S.

Brazilian companies are keen to scale up production of ethanol to meet future demand.

This fuel would also lower global emissions and be a boon for Brazilian farmers since the ethanol is made from sugarcane and also from corn feedstocks.

The initiative comes as the IMO prepares to enforce a global net-zero framework for shipping. Though the directive was approved in April 2025, formal adoption was pushed back to December 2026 due to U.S pressure.

Narciso Bertholdi, who serves on the boards of two Brazilian corn ethanol producers, said U.S support could hasten the adoption of ethanol as a maritime fuel.

Brazilian company Vale ordered Guaibamax vessels from a Chinese shipbuilder, scheduled for delivery in 2029. These ships could be the first to use 100% ethanol to move iron ore.

Shipping regulations will have to evolve to make biofuels scalable for maritime use, said Filippe Fernandez, Latin America commercial director at bunker fuel trader Bunker One.

He added that EU rules exclude first-generation crop-based biofuels made from corn and sugarcane, which is a major hurdle.